Rising spate of political vigilantism worrying — APC

Leader and Founder of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga

The Leader and Founder of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga, has noted with concern the continuous decline in the safety and security of the country evident in the recent spate of killings and vigilantism.

He said Ghana, described by the outside world as a beacon of democracy in Africa, was now threatened with the rising spate of political vigilantism and unexplained killings.

Few months ago, he said, Ghana was a country where Africans and the rest of the world could run to and seek business opportunities, security, peace, jobs and protection.

“Today, our country is almost at the crossroads where Ghanaians themselves do not feel secure or at peace with one another anymore,” he said.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, Mr Ayariga said the country witnessed a very sad event in the just-ended Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election and wondered what had gone wrong.

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Lack of political maturity

Mr Ayariga posited that an event that was supposed to show a level of tolerance, political maturity, understanding, togetherness, love and leadership turned to a bloody exercise.

On that fateful day, he said, history was made when a sitting MP, Mr Sam George, was attacked and assaulted by the very security that had been entrusted with the mandate to protect lives and property.

“This barbaric and unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated.

If our leaders do not take action today, tomorrow a sitting judge will be next and then a minister of State and then a chief of staff and the ultimate will one day happen, a sitting President,” he warned.

He said such a precedent must not be allowed to continue without taking responsibilities to fish out the culprits and bring them to book.

The APC, he said, demanded an immediate arrest of the men involved in the barbaric act.

The APC, Mr Ayariga said, believed that the country’s Constitution needed to be amended to make the security institutions autonomous.

“We can’t have a Constitution that give so much power to the President and the government of the day. It is absurd to continue in this manner.

We need to amend some sections of the Constitution to reduce the powers of the President,” he stressed.

He observed that the security agencies appeared not to be professional as they ought to be but rather engulfed with party vigilantes and thugs of favourite political parties while national security had now been reduced to jobs for the boys.

He observed that depending on which party was in power, party foot soldiers were posted to various security institutions without proper training, qualifications and standards.

Mr Ayariga was of the view that by-elections were not terrorism events and that it was wrong for the government to deploy an illegal group with AK 47 assault rifles as if they were in a war zone.

Responsible citizenry

Mr Ayariga said, “Mr President, we need our country back in shape. The APC will not watch your government terrorise innocent citizens.”

He further advised, “Let’s all be mindful of our comments and actions and above all let’s be responsible citizens and not spectators.

I don’t think and believe that our political leaders know what they are playing with. ????We can call each other names and laugh about it, and still live together as one, but now that we are engaged in shooting and attacking one another.”????

He observed that the security of the country had deteriorated beyond reasonable doubts and called for immediate action to reverse the trend.